Abstract
BackgroundChronic back disorders (CBD) are prevalent, costly, and among the most common reasons for seeking primary care; however, little is known regarding the comparative use of family physician, chiropractic, and physiotherapy services among people with CBD in Canada. Elucidating these differences may identify potential gaps in access to care and inform the development of strategies to improve access. The research objectives were to investigate patterns of health care use and to profile factors associated with self-reported use of family physicians, chiropractors, and physiotherapists among adult Canadians with CBD.MethodsThe combined 2009 and 2010 Canadian Community Health Surveys conducted by Statistics Canada were used to investigate self-reported health care use among adults with CBD. This complex survey employs population weights and bootstrapping to be representative of the Canadian population. Following descriptive analyses, we used multiple logistic regression to profile self-reported health care use while statistically controlling for possible confounding effects.ResultsThe majority of adult respondents with CBD sought care only with a family physician (53.8%), with 20.9% and 16.2% seeking care with combined family physician/chiropractor or family physician/physiotherapist, respectively. Few respondents sought care only with a chiropractor (2.5%) or physiotherapist (1.0%). After adjustment, differential patterns of utilization (p < 0.05) were evident between provider groups with respect to age, gender, socioeconomic status, rural/urban residence, functional limitations, and presence of co-morbidities.ConclusionsThis research highlights potential inequities in access to physiotherapists and chiropractors in relation to family physicians among adult Canadians with CBD, particularly among lower socioeconomic status and rural/remote populations.
Highlights
Chronic back disorders (CBD) are prevalent, costly, and among the most common reasons for seeking primary care; little is known regarding the comparative use of family physician, chiropractic, and physiotherapy services among people with CBD in Canada
Despite back disorders being the most common pain problem in the general population [18] and one of the most common reasons for seeking health care [5, 15]; little is known regarding the comparative use of family physician, chiropractic, and physiotherapy services in Canada
The objectives of this research were to: 1) investigate patterns of use of family physician, chiropractor, and physiotherapy services; and 2) profile the sociodemographic and other factors associated with use of different health care providers among adult Canadians with CBD
Summary
Chronic back disorders (CBD) are prevalent, costly, and among the most common reasons for seeking primary care; little is known regarding the comparative use of family physician, chiropractic, and physiotherapy services among people with CBD in Canada. Elucidating these differences may identify potential gaps in access to care and inform the development of strategies to improve access. Chronic back disorders (CBD) are a prevalent and costly public health issue; little is known about the patterns of community-based health care use among Canadians with these common and potentially disabling conditions. Lack of awareness of how or when to access these non-physician services, as well as the misconception that a physician referral is required to receive reimbursement from insurance companies outside of the publicly funded system
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call